Refrigerant system charging and evacuating manifold

ABSTRACT

A device for servicing closed refrigerating systems comprising a body having a passageway therethrough provided at its respective ends with means for connecting the device to an access valve of the refrigerant system and a refrigerant charging hose. A transverse bore, through the body intersecting the passageway, rotatably supports a shaft having means at one end for connection with a pressure-vacuum gauge and having a camming surface intermediate its ends longitudinally moving a plunger toward a depressible valve core by rotation of the shaft for communication with the refrigerant system.

United States Patent [191 Mullins Nov. 4, 1975 REFRIGERANT SYSTEMCHARGING AND EVACUATING MANIFOLD 21 Appl. No.: 518,822

[52] US. Cl. 62/292; 62/77; 62/125; 141/348 [51] Int. Cl. F25D 45/00[58] Field of Search 62/292, 149, 77, 125; 141/311, 348

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,181,853 11/1939 McCloy62/77 2,226,85l 12/1940 Franck 62/125 2,464,563 3/l949 Doeg 62/2923,299,648 i/l967 White 62/149 34 32 36 r r L r 7- I I I I l l I ll/l97lGrise 62/292 2/1972 Rowlins 62/292 Primary ExaminerWilliam J. WyeAttorney, Agent, or FirmRobert K. Rhea [57] ABSTRACT A device forservicing closed refrigerating systems comprising a body having apassageway therethrough provided at its respective ends with means forconnecting the device to an access valve of the refrigerant system and arefrigerant charging hose. A transverse bore, through the bodyintersecting the passageway, rotatably supports a shaft having means atone end for connection with a pressure-vacuum gauge and having a cammingsurface intermediate its ends longitudinally moving a plunger toward adepressible valve core by rotation of the shaft for communication withthe refn'gerant system.

4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures /44 l 'min] l "iflmq ii ii it FH-L 1i" L L lREFRIGERANT SYSTEM CHARGING AND EVACUATING MANIFOLD BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates toclosed refrigerating systems and more particularly to a manifold forremoving or adding fluid refrigerant to the system.

The term refrigerating system as used herein is intended to mean anysystem which utilizes a compressible evaporative fluid to remove heatfrom an enclosed space, such as refrigerators and air conditioners. Themaintenance of such a system requires that the refrigerant system betested and additional refrigerant fluid added thereto if the fluidcontained by the system is below a predetermined pressure. Similarly, amalfunctioning refrigerant system sometimes must be evacuated ofrefrigerant fluid in order to effect repairs and thereafter recharge thesystem. For this purpose the refrigerant lines are usually provided withone or more access fittings which contain a spring urged depressiblestem for opening and closing a valve core which is utilized by thepresent invention in servicing the system.

2. Description of the Prior Art Most refrigerant servicing devices ofthis type, commonly referred to as charging manifolds, are bulky inoverall configuration and are provided with two or more valves whichmust be opened and closed during operation. The passageway through theprior art devices and valves being of relatively small size andconsequently inefficient when evacuating refrigerant fluid from thelines.

This invention provides a relatively small in overall configurationcharging and evacuating manifold, when compared with prior artmanifolds, having a refrigerant passageway therethrough which issubstantially greater in cross sectional area than the full openposition of the access fitting valve with which it is connected foreasily conveying the volume of gas being removed from the refrigerantsystem and which contains a cam equipped shaft for moving a plungertoward and away from a depressible valve core stem for opening andclosing the valve.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A generally cylindrical body is provided with alongitudinal passageway having means at one end for connection with arefrigerant access valve and having means at its other end forconnection with a refrigerant charging hose. A transverse bore, throughthe body, intersecting the gas passageway, is provided with means at oneend to receive a vacuum-pressure gauge. Intermediate its ends the shaftis recessed to provide a cam surface for longitudinally moving anelongated access valve core depressing plunger by rotating the shaft180". The end portion of the shaft, between its camming surface and itsconnection with the pressure gauge, is longitudinally bored to providecommunication between the gas passageway and the pressure gauge. Asecond 180 rotation of the shaft permits the spring urged valve corestem to longitudinally move the plunger with the cam and close theaccess valve. A lateral port, in the body adjacent its end portionopposite the access valve connecting means, is provided with a fittingfor connection with a second evacuating hose when evacuating arefrigerant system with the fitting being normally closed by a dust cap,or the like, when not in use.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an improvedrefrigerant system servicing manifold for attachment to a refrigerationaccess valve without loss of refrigerant for quickly evacuating arefrigerant system of refrigerant fluid or adding fluid as needed andwhich is relatively small in overall dimensions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view ofthe device connected with a pressure-vacuum gauge and illustrating, bydotted lines, its connection with a refrigerant access valve and one endportion of a charging hose;

FIG. 2 is a top view of FIG. 1 with the pressure gauge removed andillustrating, by dotted lines, the opposite end of the charging hoseconnected with a lateral port equipped fitting when the device is not inuse;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical cross sectional view takensubstantially along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal cross sectional view takensubstantially along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1 and illustrating a dust capclosing the lateral port fitting; and,

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cam equipped rotatable shaft, perse.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Like characters of referencedesignate like parts in those figures of the drawings in which theyoccur.

In the drawings:

The reference numeral 10 indicates the device, as a whole, comprising abody portion 12 having first and second threaded connectors 14 and 16 atits respective ends and a transverse cam shaft 18. In the example shown,the body 12 is formed from hexagonal stock but obviously other crosssectional shapes may be used, if desired. The body 12 is longitudinallybored, as at 20, to form a passageway therethrough and is counterbored,as at 22 and 24, from its respective ends to form an annular shoulder 26adjacent one end. The counterbore 22 coaxially receives one end portionof the first connector means 14 which comprises a short tube 28 abuttingthe shoulder 26 and having an annular flange 30 at its other endsurrounded by a nut 32. The nut 32 threadedly engages an access fitting34 secured to a refrigerant line 36. The access fitting 34 contains anair valve core 38 having a depressible stem 40 normally closing the boreof the access fitting 34.

The counterbore 24 is internally threaded for receiving the secondconnector means 16 comprising a tubular fitting 42 having its oppositeends threaded for connection with the body 12 and receiving aninternally threaded sleeve 44 forming one end portion of a conventionalvalve depressor refrigerant gas supply tubular member commonly called acharging hose. The valve depressor, not shown, normally contained by thesleeve 44, is removed to provide a greater volume of fluid flowtherethrough. V

The end portion of the body 12, adjacent its connection with the firstconnector means 14, is transversely bored, as at 46, intersecting thegas passageway for receiving an intermediate portion of the shaft 18.The shaft 18 is characterized by an internally threaded nutlike endportion 48 for connection with a conventional pressure-vacuum gauge 50and externally threaded at its other end portion for receiving a nut 52for maintaining the shaft connected with the body 12. Intermediate itsends and aligned with the gas passageway, the shaft is transverselyrecessed, as at 54, to form a cam surface 56 for the purposes presentlyexplained. An annular groove is formed in the shaft on opposite sides ofthe recess 54 for receiving sealing members, such as rings 58. The shaftis also longitudinally bored, as at 60, from its nut-like end portion tocommunicate with the recess 54.

Plunger means 62 is longitudinally disposed within the gas passagewayand extends between the cam surface 56 and adjacent the end of the valvecore stem 40. The plunger means 62 comprises a shank 63 provided, at oneend, with a head 64 contacting the camming surface 56. Obviously, asmaller diameter shaft 18 may be used with the cam surface formed on aperipheral portion of its surface, if desired.

The body 12 is further provided with a lateral threaded bore 66communicating with the passageway for receiving a third connector means42' comprising a similar threaded end tubular fitting for the purposespresently explained.

The manifold may be used without the pressure gauge 50 by inserting aplug, not shown, into the shaft end portion 48 or alternatively theshaft bore 60 may be omitted.

OPERATION In operation the device 10, having the pressurevacuum gauge 50connected therewith with the plunger means 62 and shaft 18, in theposition shown by FIG. 3, is connected by the first connector means 14to the access valve fitting 34. The second connector means 16 isconnected with the charging hose sleeve 44. A dust cap 70, or the like,normally closes the third connector means 42' (FIG. 4). The shaft 18 isrotated by manually rotating the pressure gauge 50 180 from its positionin FIG. 3 about the longitudinal axis of the shaft 18 whichlongitudinally moves the plunger means 62 toward the air valve core stem40 thus opening the access fitting 34 so that pressure within the line36 is then indicated by the pressure gauge. Additional refrigerant maythen be applied to the line 36 from the charging hose and when a desiredpressure is reached, as shown by the gauge 50, the shaft 18 is againrotated 180 to its original position so that the valve core stem 40 isreleased and moves the plunger means 62 therewith and maintains contactbetween the plunger head 64 and the shaft cam surface 56. g

In the event the refrigerant line 36 is to be evacuated of refrigerantgas, a second charging hose, not shown, is similarly connected with thethird connector means 42 after removing the cap 70 so that vacuumapplied to the second and third connector means 16 and 42' quicklyevacuates the refrigerant line when the shaft 18 is rotated to theposition shown in FIG. 4 so that its camming surface 56 opens the accessvalve 34, as described hereinabove.

When the device 10 is not in use, the end portion 72 of the charginghose, opposite the sleeve 44, is normally connected with the thirdconnector means 42 (FIG. 2) for ease in transporting or storing thedevice 10.

Obviously the invention is susceptible to changes or alterations withoutdefeating its practicability, therefore, I do not wish to be confined tothe preferred embodiment shown in the drawings and described herein.

I claim:

1. A manifold for evacuating and charging a closed refrigerant systemwith fluid, said refrigerant system having a refrigerant line providedwith an access fitting containing a normally closed valve which must bedepressed to open, comprising:

a body having a passageway therethrough;

a first connector means connecting one end of the passageway with saidaccess fitting;

second connector means adapted to connect one end of acharging-evacuating hose with the other end of the passageway, said bodyhaving a transverse bore intersecting the passageway;

cam shaft means within the transverse bore; and,

plunger means interposed between said access valve and said cam shaftmeans within the passageway.

2. The manifold according to claim 1 in which said cam shaft meansincludes:

a shaft having a cam surface formed thereon within the passageway, saidshaft having a means at one end adapted to be connected with a pressuregauge and having a longitudinal bore providing communication between thepassageway and the pressure gauge.

3. The manifold according to claim 2 in which said plunger meansincludes:

a shank portion having one end contacting the dep'ressible valve of saidaccess fitting and having a head at its other end portion contactingsaid cam surface.

.4. The manifold according to claim 3 in which said body is providedwith a lateral port communicating with the passageway and furtherincluding:

a third connector means adapted to connect one end of acharging-evacuating hose with the lateral port; and,

a cap normally closing said third connector means.

1. A manifold for evacuating and charging a closed refrigerant systemwith fluid, said refrigerant system having a refrigerant line providedwith an access fitting containing a normally closed valve which must bedepressed to open, comprising: a body having a passageway therethrough;a first connector means connecting one end of the passageway with saidaccess fitting; second connector means adapted to connect one end of achargingevacuating hose with the other end of the passageway, said bodyhaving a transverse bore intersecting the passageway; cam shaft meanswithin the transverse bore; and, plunger means interposed between saidaccess valve and said cam shaft means within the passageway.
 2. Themanifold according to claim 1 in which said cam shaft means includes: ashaft having a cam surface formed thereon within the passageway, saidshaft having a means at one end adapted to be connected with a pressuregauge and having a longitudinAl bore providing communication between thepassageway and the pressure gauge.
 3. The manifold according to claim 2in which said plunger means includes: a shank portion having one endcontacting the depressible valve of said access fitting and having ahead at its other end portion contacting said cam surface.
 4. Themanifold according to claim 3 in which said body is provided with alateral port communicating with the passageway and further including: athird connector means adapted to connect one end of acharging-evacuating hose with the lateral port; and, a cap normallyclosing said third connector means.